Understanding AUTOSAR’s Basic Software Layer The AUTomotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR) development platform is a powerful tool for programmers and developers working on automotive electronic control units (ECUs), the specialized and dedicated microcontrollers for automotive applications. The benefits of developing applications for an ECU in AUTOSAR or AUTOSAR-compliant frameworks include ..read more

The Role of ASPICE in Systems and Software Development LHP’s proven process for forging a turnkey systems and software development solution helps to create a perfect environment for implementing the Automotive Software Process Capability dEtermination (ASPICE) framework. Why? Because the ASPICE standard provides a methodology and guiding principles for engineers and developers to create a process in the first place, and LHP knows best how to navigate and optimize it ..read more

Waterfall to Agile challenges Agile development methodology is aimed at maximizing team effectiveness, minimizing waste, and facilitating the continuous development and integration of software. Agile is a proven methodology for the efficient development of software in complex projects and is predominantly utilized by the software companies themselves. However, the reality for the transportation industry is that migrating from Waterfall to Agile is not straightforward. The vast array of Waterfall to Agile challenges require an organization-level journey that includes all aspects of development ..read more

Electric vehicle testing equipment and tools The rapidly increasing integration of embedded electronic control units (ECUs) in nearly every onboard system of modern vehicles requires intensive testing to ensure their safe and precise operation. Electric vehicles (EVs), especially, require more testing than their internal combustion (IC) counterparts, if only due to the generally higher number of ECUs typically required for electric and hybrid vehicles’ powerplant management. We must observe, monitor, and tune the operation of these embedded mechatronic devices to the exacting requirements of ..read more

Electric Vehicle Considerations for Functional Safety Verification and Validation Testing The functional safety standard for the automotive industry, “ISO 26262: 2018 - Road vehicles – Functional safety,” provides guiding principles for developing hardware and software for safety-related functions and systems in vehicles. The number of “safety-related” automotive systems seems to be growing every year on all vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs). This means more electric vehicle testing at all levels since the functional safety processes now encompass more components and systems ve ..read more

What is Electric Vehicle Functional Safety Testing? Electric vehicle (EV) technology is evolving rapidly. Additionally, the demand for these vehicles is steadily increasing, with multiple countries prioritizing a decrease in internal combustion and ramping up zero-emissions vehicles within the next 5-15 years. LHP’s Chief Technology Officer Steve Neemeh illustrates this point in his recent article for our partner Jama Software ..read more

Simulation and HIL Testing for Rapid Development Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing is a necessary tool for any automotive manufacturer or supplier in this era of software-defined vehicles. One reason for this is that, compared to the software in vehicles of even a generation or two ago, a modern vehicle presents challenges because of its software’s complexity, the quantity of its software, and the interconnected nature of its systems. The number of embedded controllers, and the quantity of the code installed on them, are both increasing every year. Powerplants of every kind, their power tran ..read more

AUTOSAR Acceptance Tests Acceptance tests, as a quality control mechanism, are found in many facets of manufacturing. Within the field of automotive software development, acceptance tests are used to ensure quality of work for code built both with, and without, the AUTomotive Open Standard ARchitecture (AUTOSAR) framework we are currently examining. Acceptance testing is a universal mechanism to measure whether a product meets the requirements of a feature’s specification or a particular stipulation in a contract, such as between a supplier and an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM ..read more

AUTOSAR feasibility and producibility Feasibility and producibility in AUTomotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR) development refer to analyses performed by engineers or developers. The goal is to determine whether a particular project can or should be pursued and whether AUTOSAR is the toolset and framework it should be developed within. These studies are often multi-phase and often seek to answer questions about the technical feasibility of a proposed project and the estimated risks and cost-to-benefit ratio that the project entails ..read more

AUTOSAR Modularity and Configurability One very human mechanism for managing a complex issue is to divide and subdivide it into manageable components. These smaller and simpler parts can then be addressed individually or by teams, allowing for the possible division of labor while also reducing the difficulty of the entire project ..read more